How do you prune your tomatoes?

11 years ago

Last year our Tomatoes overwhelmed our garden space and the cages fell over. I have watched some videos with advice about pruning. Some say don't do it at all to provide shade for the fruit. Some say take off all the suckers so you have a single vine. Some say go with two main vines and remove the rest of the suckers. What do you do, if you prune at all? I have decided to use a hybrid approach. I am letting the suckers grow until they grow flowers on them. Then I am pinching off anymore new growth on that sucker. It will keep more foliage to provide shade. It will hopefully keep the plant from growing out of control. I don't know if I will end up with more fruit than the method of removing all the suckers or not. I already have noticed that I will need to do more work to keep all the extra branches pruned of new growth. What is your approach?

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Comments (11)

Nunyabiz1
11 years ago
Since I am growing Bush tomatoes I do not prune at all.
digdirt2
11 years ago
I don't prune any tomato plants except to remove any branches dragging on the ground. Pruning is purely optional and not required for any reason. It will reduce production. Perhaps you need better cages or they need to be staked?

Lots of discussions here on the pros and cons of pruning.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Pruning threads
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I take cuttings from suckers or whatever gets outside the cages. they are 5-6" long with generally 2 leaves. I prune off any flowers and about 1/2 the length of any leaves, except the growing tips. This restricts the leaf surface area so that the unrooted cuttings don't have to support their transpiration. I use powdered rooting hormone and stick the cuttings in a fairly light potting soil, in 2" square cell flats, though I suppose a tray would work. The media needs to be both well drained and moisture retentive, so I've used diferent mixtures of sand, compost, peat and perlite. The trick seems to be not too much water, yet enough to prevent wilting. I've tried putting 6" sticks around the edge of the flats then covering the whole thing with clear plastic bags to build a mini-greenhouse, but have done it with no cover as well. They must be kept in shade at first, maybe a week or 2, then gradually hardened in more sun once I pull a few cuttings and see rooting making progress. Eventually they get the moment of truth with full sun and increased fertility. Never let them go dry until you see roots out the bottom or they develop a root ball, then begin hardening them off further by letting them go dry till they wilt then reviving them with plenty of water. I find this last step protection against transplant shock. My results have been about 75% survival but have improved with better care in moisture control, not too wet, not too dry, good drainage. Cutting-grown tomatoes are from mature plants, so you may find them beginning to flower in the cels, pinch the blossoms off. The maturity of the plants and planting in heat rather than cool spring soil makes the plants grow very fast once transplanted, they are precocious and fruit quickly. One risk you are taking by cuttings rather than seed is introducing whatever disease may be present in the parent, but for me this hasn't been a problem- yet, "results may vary", so steer clear of taking stock from any obviously diseased plants. Good luck, Jay
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traildad
Original Author
11 years ago
Yes I could have used better and staked cages. Also I do understand that pruning is optional. Like the case I mentioned that not pruning provides better shade for the fruit. I am interested in what and how other do or don't. Thanks ken
missingtheobvious
11 years ago
I grow on a trellis, allowing each plant a section 4' wide. I don't prune until things begin to get out of control. At the end of the summer, the plant is probably at least 75% of the size it would have been if I hadn't pruned at all.

I think the best approach is to allow the plant to grow as large as the cage/support will handle.
qaguy
11 years ago
I use PVC pipe for my cages. They never fall over. They
have 4 uprights and I train (by pruning) my plants to
4 main leaders. I tie one leader to each upright.

I snap off any and all "suckers" as you call them although
they are more rightly called lateral branches. As soon
as I see them, they're gone.

To be honest, it is time consuming. And it doesn't end
until the plants are done. I must confess, that towards
the end of the season, I've given up pruning and just let
them go. But at the start of the season, like now, I'm
out there just about every day snapping off them suckers.
Of course, I'm out there just about every day anyway, so
it works pretty good.

I don't have room to sprawl my tomatoes. I have a 40 foot
long 3 foot wide space for tomatoes. So since I can't go
out, I have to go up. My cages end up being 6 feet tall
every year. Any taller and I'd need a ladder.

I don't know what effect my technique has on production
or size and I don't care. I do know I have more than
enough tomatoes from 9 plants that my wife and I can't
eat them all even though we love tomatoes and have them
with every meal at home. We give away lots of them
and also make a gallon or two of sauce every year.

Here's a link to a site that tells you all about those cages.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Matkey tomato cage
lgteacher
11 years ago
I prune any branches that are touching the ground to reduce the likelihood of diseases. Other than that, I have pruned out the branches that come out from the spot between the main vertical and the side shoots. After a while, I don't bother.
There are so many branches that there is plenty of shade on the tomatoes. As long as there is room for them to grow, I let them. After all, the leaves make food for the plant.

I am trying various methods of staking (below).

Here is a link that might be useful: tomato support
traildad
Original Author
11 years ago
More great ideas. That PVC is great stuff. I just got done making the frame for my chicken run out of 11/2 PVC conduit. Thanks ken
jolj
11 years ago
I like the PVC.
I never prune.
One study found that pruning to 3 or less leaders will get you bigger tomatoes.
Not pruning will get you more smaller tomatoes, but in pounds you will get the same amount of tomatoes as pruning to 3 or less leaders.
I do get a few tomato horn worms, which prune for me, before I get to them & a deer or two will prune a few tops.
I always have more then I can eat or put up, so I just let them grow willy nilly on the canes.
traildad
Original Author
11 years ago
This is what the walk way between my raised beds looked like last year. It does need something;-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Jungle Tomatoes
harveyhorses
11 years ago
Glad to see I am not the only one who ends up with a jungle! I prune the ones touching the ground, and I have learned the hard way, if there is something Tropical heading my way, do a Hurricane Prune. Anything that is not supported enough to withstand torrential rain and winds get chopped. I had, thanks to Irene and some others, a LOT of damage, mostly splitting where a limb would break and rip down the trunk. I thought if they were o.k. during our thunderstorms they would be fine in a hurricane.
Live and learn, if anyone has a better idea I am happy to hear it.
Trishcuit
11 years ago
I am making a half-hearted attempt at pruning. Pinched off the branches likely to rest on the ground, and some lower suckers. I will have to decide what to do after they grow a bit more, as I am trying the Florida Weave method of support this year so the plants will need to be taken somewhat in hand.

How do you prune your tomatoes?

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Nunyabiz1

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